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HEATHER LANE CHAUNY
Pisac Indian Market in Peru
One of the performances , in one of the city ’ s marginalized neighborhoods , was by a nonprofit dance foundation that works with children and teens . “ Their whole message is around social justice and understanding and appreciating their identity as Afro-Colombians and as women ,” King said . The traveler was so impressed that she invited the dance company to the United States for an international dance project , and they ’ ve been working closely with King to plan it for a year . Now that ’ s meaningful travel , King added .
Mapping Out Meaningful Travel
Meaningful travel can also mean finding smaller , local tour operators and travel companies and supporting businesses that put money into the communities that travelers visit . One way to find sustainable , community-led enterprises , products , services , accommodations and tours is through Tourism Cares ’ Meaningful Travel Map .
The interactive global map displays travel experiences that are vetted to ensure they deliver authentic , impact-driven experiences that are visitor-ready . These include activities such as bookable recreational experiences that prioritize accessibility and inclusion , gift items that benefit victims of human trafficking and restaurants that not only train at-risk youth but also offer excellent local cuisine .
Some of the diverse destinations and activities on the map include :
• The Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Sierra Leone
• Fernweh Fair Travel , a women-led and -run , award-winning , internationally recognized youth and women empowerment project offering guided tours that integrate nature-based adventures and spiritual retreats with indigenous cultural activities in the Indian Himalayas
• Live Like a Local tours of Boston , which take guests into the city ’ s neighborhoods to experience food from different cultures
• Tromsø Accessible Tours AS , an organization that develops adventure tourism and extreme sport itineraries in the Arctic region of Norway
Signing Up for Local Insights
Veteran travel advisor Tracey Ford is launching a platform called Local Insights to connect visitors with locals for authentic personal encounters that support marginalized and in need communities . As part of the program , she specifically targets
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